The present invention relates to hydraulically driven motors, and more particularly relates to a gerotor motor having check valves incorporated into a thrust plate of the motor allowing bi-rotational operation with or without a case drain.
Hydraulic motors and gerotors are generally well known, some examples of which may be seen in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,972 issued Nov. 6, 1984 to Eaton Corporation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,490 issued Feb. 27, 2001 to White Hydraulics, Inc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,479 issued Dec. 7, 1982 to Eaton Corporation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,151 issued Jan. 16, 2001 to The Ohio State University Research Foundation.
While the prior art provides an array of hydraulic motors with varying operational capabilities and efficiencies, there remains a need for a simplified hydraulic motor which may be operated in either the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction with an optional case drain as needed for the particular application requirements.